Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes the club are better placed heading into next season following Andoni Iraola’s impending appointment as head coach.
Liverpool parted ways with Arne Slot on Saturday before moving quickly to secure his replacement, reaching a verbal agreement with the Spaniard by Tuesday.
Iraola arrives at Anfield after leading Bournemouth to sixth in the Premier League, securing European football for the first time in the club’s history.
However, reservations remain among some supporters and pundits about Iraola’s lack of experience at a major club and in European competition.
Murphy, a Match of the Day pundit and BBC Sport columnist, expressed genuine enthusiasm about the style of football Iraola could bring to Liverpool.
“I’m quite excited because after watching Bournemouth play, there’s no reason to think he’s not going to try and play the same way – in terms of being courageous and on the front foot and trying to press teams with high energy and play attacking football,” Murphy said.
Murphy also argued that the timing of the managerial change was the right call, pointing to a deteriorating relationship between the fanbase and Slot’s style of play.
“When a fanbase becomes disillusioned with a manager and his style of play – and then start turning on him – you’re delaying the inevitable. I do believe Liverpool are better placed now and that’s not all down to Slot,” he added.
“Bringing in Iraola was the best option because the fans go into a new campaign with hope and excitement, rather than fear. You do not want to start the season where the players are feeling the anxiety from the outset, and this was the best way for Liverpool to do it.”
Despite his optimism, Murphy acknowledged concerns about Iraola’s move to one of the world’s biggest clubs, having previously managed Rayo Vallecano in Spain before taking charge at Bournemouth.
“I do have a couple of reservations because he’s never managed a club of this size before and he will be a little bit surprised at how intrusive it will be on his life, when you manage Liverpool,” Murphy said.
Murphy also raised questions about whether Iraola’s high-intensity approach can be sustained across a congested fixture schedule at a club competing on multiple fronts.
“The only other reservation is whether he will be able to play high-intensity football every few days because that will require a certain level of fitness – which we saw with Jurgen Klopp’s teams with the flying full-backs, the midfield dynamism and the work-rate of the attackers,” he said.
“It’s difficult to see how to create that with what he’s got at the moment so the summer transfer window is huge for Liverpool in that respect. The current squad lacks legs and dynamism and isn’t filled with brilliant players off the ball.”
Slot’s side won a record-equalling 20th league title in his first season in charge but finished fifth, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, in his second campaign.
Peter Bolster from the Spion Kop podcast told BBC Radio Merseyside that Iraola’s arrival had reignited his enthusiasm for watching Liverpool after a difficult season.
“Large parts of last season I wasn’t excited to watch Liverpool. I wasn’t excited to go to Anfield and I certainly wasn’t excited for pre-season or the start of next season. And whatever happens from this point onwards, I am excited,” Bolster said.
Liverpool fan Ian Walker expressed mixed feelings about the appointment, referencing the pressure that comes with managing one of the world’s biggest clubs.
“I have mixed feelings. That awful style of play [under Slot last season] had to be turned around as soon as possible, but the role has proved to be too much for some, both in terms of consistently securing results or in coping with the expectations and pressures of the media and the fanbase,” Walker said.
The Redmen TV’s Ste Plunkett told BBC Radio Merseyside he believed Iraola represented an obvious fit for what Liverpool want from their manager, despite the lack of European experience.
“You would have liked to have seen [Iraola] have some experience in Europe, but then he’s never really worried about reputation or who he’s playing against. That doesn’t seem to bother him, so I think the fact that he’s fresh to all of that, he’ll go into it invigorated,” Plunkett said.
